Wrestling On FanNation

Kevin Owens Clashed With WWE's Old Creative Regime Over Fan Intelligence

Those who don't remember history are doomed to repeat it. The old WWE creative regime didn't forget history, but they just did chose to ignore it on a regular basis. Kevin Owens was always willing to push back in defense of the fans.
Rick Ucchino|
Kevin Owens interrupting the Grayson Waller effect on (8/23/24) SmackDown
Kevin Owens interrupting the Grayson Waller effect on (8/23/24) SmackDown | WWE

Kevin Owens has earned his reputation of being one the smartest and blatantly honest storytellers in professional wrestling.

He's never shied away from calling out ridiculous wrestling tropes on screen, and apparently spent years pushing back against the old creative team behind the scenes.

Adrian Hernandez of Unlikely recently sat down with Owens to discuss the change in creative philosophy with Paul 'Triple H' Levesque now WWE's Chief Content Officer. One significant shift that KO has noticed under the soon-to-be WWE Hall of Famer is a bigger focus on remembering history. More specifically, recent history.

“Our fans are smart and watch our product and pay attention. [They] remember things, and can remember things a lot better than other people that were in charge before thought they would," Owens said. "I guess [the old creative team] didn’t remember half the stuff we did. The fans do because the fans care and pay attention to what we do."

Owens recalled getting into a number of arguments with people in charge prior to Levesque taking over. When he would point out similarities in the scripts or match cards on a weekly basis, Kevin was was essentially told it was fine because the fans wouldn't remember.

He would often push back, saying that mentality was insulting to the intelligence of the WWE Universe.

"Triple H does not think like that. He knows fans remember and he applies it and uses it. It makes the product way better, in my opinion. When I was a kid watching, when I was 12, 13, 14, even though I was just a kid, I watched it and remembered everything. When The Sultan showed up, I knew it was [Rikishi]. Why is he The Sultan? Our fans are smart. It’s great to see the product leaning into that now.”

Kevin Owens is expected to appear on SmackDown tonight in London, as he is just weeks away from facing Randy Orton at WrestleMania 41.

The Latest On WWE, AEW & More

WWE SmackDown Preview (3/28/25): Start Time, Match Card, How to Watch & Live Stream

Cody Rhodes Makes Surprising Admission To Swerve Strickland After PWI 500 Release

WWE Hall of Famer Endorses AEW Signing Gail Kim

Details Emerge On Reported Return Of WWE Evolution PLE

Published
Rick Ucchino
RICK UCCHINO

Rick Ucchino is the Assistant Editor & Content Coordinator for The Takedown on SI. He also works full-time for 700WLW Radio in Cincinnati, Ohio as a local news and sports anchor, in addition to his time covering the Cincinnati Bengals for Sirius XM. Rick has been on the professional wrestling beat since 2019, having provided coverage for a number of outlets, including Fightful, SB Nation’s Cageside Seats and the Bleav Podcast Network. With an educational background in theater, creative writing and journalism, Rick focuses primarily on the storytelling aspect of pro wrestling, but he’s no stranger to the squared circle himself. He had the privilege of training with former WWE & WCW cruiserweight Jimmy Wang Yang for nearly two years and retired early due to back issues with a perfect 1-0 record in singles competition. Rick is a married father of two incredibly adorable children, who are budding pro wrestling fans themselves. Much to the chagrin of their mother. You can reach Rick at rwucchino@gmail.com

Home/WWE